intellectual and political circles and with official quarters. We made headway, thanks to our work in London and throughout the country, and thanks also to Voska’s doings in America which were highly appreciated in London.
The Work in France.
In agreement with Dr. Beneš, who had been in the habit of coming to London to report to me on our position, I went over to Paris at the beginning of February 1916. Briand had been Prime Minister since October 28, 1915, and Štefánik had prepared him for my visit. I saw him on February 8, and laid before him a small map of Europe and my view of the war—that the division of Austria into her historical and natural elements was a condition of the reconstruction of Europe and of the real enfeeblement of Germany, that is to say, of French security. I spoke tersely, almost epigrammatically, but Briand has a good French brain and grasped the heart of the matter at once. Above all, he accepted our policy and promised to carry it out. Štefánik told me that Briand was really convinced. My visit to him was announced in an official communiqué; and, as a public supplement to it, the kindness of M. Sauerwein enabled me to publish a brief statement of our anti-Austrian programme in the “Matin.” This statement hit the mark not only in Paris but in all Allied countries. It is no exaggeration to say that our policy of resolving Austria into her constituent parts gave the Allies a positive aim. They began to understand that it would not be enough to overthrow the Central Powers and to penalize them financially and otherwise, but that Eastern Europe and Europe as a whole must be reorganized. Briand’s reception of me and my intercourse with him made an impression in London and strengthened our position there. Announcements favourable to us appeared not only in “The Times” but in other papers also the “Matin” had a skilful correspondent in London! It goes without saying that we used this great success to the utmost throughout the press; and we soon had occasion to see that the fact of my having been received by Briand had a profound effect upon Slav politicians and especially upon Russian diplomatists.
I stayed about a month in Paris, paying visits that deepened and strengthened the influence of Briand’s action. I cannot record them all. They included interviews with M. Pichon, afterwards Minister for Foreign Affairs; with M. Deschanel, President of the Chamber and afterwards President of the
